Couplers for optical fibers in which light is transmitted between one optical fiber and one or more other optical fibers are well known. However, such optic couplers heretofore known have suffered from a drawback in that it has been necessary to fuse the fibers together. Once the fibers are fused, it is difficult to take them apart. Also, it has been difficult to ensure that each fiber receives the same fraction of the incident light. Thus, there is a need for an optical coupler in which it is not necessary to fuse the optical fibers and in which each fiber receives the same fraction of incident light.
Further, currently known lamp designs use masking, such as an opaque lamp shade, to produce desired dark areas within a lighted region. Also, known designs frequently use a shade or translucent fixture to disperse the light so that the harsh glare of the bulb does not directly illuminate the surroundings. Such masking or dispersion is not completely effective at excluding light, and diffusion of the transmitted light frequently results in areas of varying light intensity.